Professional Terms

Aggravation  a noticeable
intensification of the disease symptoms previously observed.
Often associated with the action of the correct homeopathic
remedy. See aphorisms 157-161, 247-249, 280, 282 of
the Organon.

Antidote  a substance, or a remedy,
that counteracts the effect of a homeopathic remedy.
High temperatures are thought to antidote remedies.
Mint is said to be an antidote of Natrum muriaticum.
Many feel that coffee antidotes homeopathic remedies.
When a person is reacting incorrectly to a homeopathic
remedy, an antidote may be given to neutralize the effects.

Anti-Psoric  The group of homeopathic
medicines, identified by Hahnemann, that cure the psoric
miasm and associated diseases.
allopathy  the treatment of disease by
using medicines that oppose the presenting symptoms.

Avagadro's Number  6.03 x 10 to
the 23rd power. The number of molecules contained in
1 mole of a substance. Potencies greater than 12c or
24x no longer contain any molecules of the original
substance.

Cell salts (biochemic remedies, tissue salts)  a homeopathic physician, W.H. Schuessler,
developed the Biochemic system using 12 different 'cell
salts'. Schuessler felt these were fundamental to the
proper function of the human body. Prepared in low potency(3x
or 6x) and used based on homeopathic indications.

Centesimal  one of three potency
scales used in homeopathic pharmacy. It was the first
potency developed by Hahnemann. 1 part medicinal substance
(dry or tincture), mixed with 99 parts diluent (lactose
or alcohol), and then succussed (shaken), yields the
1c potency. Taking 1 part of that potency mixed with
99 parts diluent, then succussed, yields the 2c potency.
This is continued until the desired potency is reached.
A 200c has gone through this process 200 times. A 1M
potency has gone through this process 1,000 times. The
higher the potency, the stronger the stimulation of
the vital force.

Centrifugal  moving away from the
center

Centripetal  moving towards the
center

Characteristic Symptom  a symptom
that is 'striking, strange, unusual, peculiar' in the
case. Close attention is paid to characteristic symptoms
as they must correspond to symptoms of the remedy if
it is to cure. For example, burning pain better heat,
or better lying on the painful side. See aphorism #153
of the Organon.

Chronic Disease  Disease that arise
from the dynamic contagion of a chronic miasm. Left
to themselves without their specific remedy, they continue
to increase indefinitely, despite the best mental and
dietary habits.

Collective Disease  In epidemics,
the collective disease reveals itself in the totality
of the signs and symptoms of several cases.

Common Symptoms  symptoms that
are common to a specific disease, for example, stiff
joints in arthritis, or yellow skin in jaundice.

Complementary  Complementary remedies
enhance or augment the action of the previous remedy.

Concomitant  occurring simultaneously.
Refers to symptoms that happen at the same time as the
chief complaint. One of the parts of a complete symptom.

Constitution  The physical body
and mental temperament that is expressive of the natural
traits and predisposition of the individual.

Contagion  An infectious state
transferred by contact.

Decimal  the first experiments
with the decimal scale were performed by Constantine
Hering in 1833. 1 part medicinal substance (dry or tincture),
mixed with 9 parts diluent (lactose or alcohol), and
then succussed (shaken), yields the 1X(D) potency. Taking
1 part of that potency mixed with 9 parts diluent, then
succussed, yields the 2X(D) potency. This is continued
until the desired potency is reached. dynamis-life energy,
vital force

Degree  A combination of the frequency
with which a remedy cures a symptom in provings or clinical
practice. A numerical value is assigned to a remedy
in a rubric in a repertory. In the Synthesis Repertory,
this is a range from 1-4.

Doctrine of Signatures  The concept
that any organic substance carries within itself the
likeness of some organ or part of the human economy,
as a sign that this particular substance was applicable
to disturbances of that organ.

Drainage Remedies  Remedies used
to balance, nourish, or detoxify the system.

Dyscrasia  An illness or sickness.

Elimination Rubric  A rubric used
in a repertorization to eliminate consideration of any
remedy that is not found within.

Etiology  the cause of disease.
One of the aspects of a complete symptom.

Families  Looking at remedies from
the standpoint of botanical relationships, animal groupings,
or place in the Periodic Table.

Fluxion  method of homeopathic
pharmacy that does not succuss past a 30c potency. The
pressure of water is used instead.

Geginwirking (counter action)  Hahnemann
divides the symptoms we see into two different types:
those which result from the first encounter between
the vital force and the external agent, and the ones
which are a result of the vital force's reaction to
the symptoms of that primary encounter-counter action.

Gemut  emotions, emotional mind.

Genus Epidemicus  A remedy which
is found to be curative in the majority of cases of
the same disease(eg., epidemics). Hahnemann taught that
the genus epidemicus remedies should be chosen by the
uncommon characteristic symptoms of all the patients
not the common symptoms of the epidemic disease.

Grafting  method of making medicated
pellets by placing non-medicated pellets in contact
with medicated ones. Also done with liquid potencies.

Heilkunst  complete medical system

Hering's Law  A true cure takes
place from within to without; from the more important
organs to the lesser important; from above to below;
heals the symptoms in the reverse order of their development.

Homeopathy  system of natural medicine
developed by Samuel Hahnemann. Based on the Law of Similars.

Homeoprophylaxis  Use of homeopathic
medicines to prevent the occurrence of a disease.

Inimical  These are remedies that
have been shown to have an adverse effect on following
one another.

Intercurrent  remedy used to provide
renewed activity in a stalled case.

Isopathy  the treatment of a disease
with the identical disease agent.
See Aphorism 56a of the Organon.

keynote  a unique feature or fundamental
aspect of a remedy.

Lebenskraft  life force or life
power

LM (50 millesimal, Q)  the second
potency scale developed by Hahnemann, introduced in
the sixth edition of the Organon. Start with a 3c triturate
of a remedy. One part is placed into 500 drops liquid
(400 drops water, 100 drops alcohol). One drop is placed
into 100 drops of alcohol. This is succussed by hand
100 times. One drop of this mixture is used to medicate
500 #10 pellets. This is the Q1 potency(sometimes written
0/1). The Q2 is made by taking 1 of these medicated
pellets, putting it into 1 drop of water, and then mixing
into 100 drops of alcohol. This mixture is succussed
100 times by hand.

Today, the HPUS standard differs from Hahnemann's. The
following excerpt is taken from HPUS Abstracts - General
Pharmacy:

"LM (50 millesimal, Q)  the
second potency scale developed by Hahnemann, introduced
in the sixth edition of the Organon. Start with a 3c
triturate of a remedy. One
part is placed into 500 drops liquid (4 parts water,
1 part alcohol 95% v/v).One drop is placed
into 2 ml alcohol 95% v/v. This is succussed by hand
100 times. One drop of this mixture is used to medicate
500 #10 pellets. This is the Q1 potency (sometimes written
0/1). The Q2 is made by taking 1 of these medicated
pellet and placing it into
2 ml alcohol 95% v/v. This mixture is succussed
100 times by hand."

Location  where the symptom is
experienced. Location is one of the parts of a complete
symptom.

Magnetism  Rubbing or stroking.

Materia Medica  "materials
of medicine" in Latin. A reference that lists the
curative indications and therapeutic actions of homeopathic
medicines. This information is derived from provings
and clinical experience.

Mesmerism  Healing force by which
a well-intentioned man exerts his strong will over a
patient with or without touching him, or even at some
distance, in such a way that the vital force of the
healthy mesmerizer gifted with this power dynamically
flows into the patient.

Miasm  A diathesis based on an
infection, its sequellae, or inherited effects.

Modality  a condition that makes
a person or their symptom better or worse. For example,
better in a hot bath, abdominal pain better bending
over, worse rainy weather, etc. Modalities are one of
the parts of a complete symptom.

Nosode  a homeopathic remedy prepared
from diseased tissue or the product of disease.

One-Sided Diseases  Diseases that
seem less amenable to cure because of an apparent paucity
of symptoms, one or two symptoms predominate, obscuring
almost all the others.

Organon  The Organon of Medicine,
by Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy. This
book describes the principles and practice of homeopathy.
Hahnemann wrote 6 editions of the Organon from 1810-1842.
The sixth edition, though finished in 1842, was not
published until 1921.

Originating Cause  The factor responsible
for the genesis of something.

Potency  the strength of a homeopathic
remedy. Determined by how many times the remedy has
been succussed and diluted during preparation. A number
and a letter are associated with the remedy name to
indicate which potency scale has been used. An example
of the decimal scale would be Arnica 6x. An example
of the centesimal scale would be Arnica 30c. An example
of the 50 millesimal scale(LM) would be Arnica LM1.
These are the 3 potency scales currently in use.

Potentized  usually refers to a
substance prepared according to homeopathic pharmaceutical
standards. This means that it has gone through serial
dilution and succussion.

Plussing  Extension of a dose by
adding water to the remedy solution and succussing further.

Primary Effects  Every power that
acts on life, every medicine, alters the vital force
more or less and brings about in human health certain
modifications of greater or lesser duration. Although
it is a product of both the medicinal and the vital
force, this primary action nevertheless belongs more
to the domain of the former.

Proving  the most accurate method
of ascertaining the action of medicines on human health.
Medicines(usually potentized) are administered to healthy
people to discover the symptoms they are capable of
producing and thereby able to cure. See aphorisms 20,
21, 108, 121, 136, 141, 145 of the Organon.

Psora  the 'itch dyscrasia'. One
of the three major miasms described by Hahnemann. Deficiency
is a key element.

Remedy  medicine, as in homeopathic
remedy.

Repertorize  to repertorize a case
one looks up symptoms in a repertory.

Repertory  an index of the homeopathic
materia medica by symptom. A list of remedies is indicated
for each symptom. All modern day repertories use Kent's
Repertory as their starting point.

Rubric  a symptom as written in
a homeopathic repertory.

Sarcode  a tissue or glandular extract
made into a homeopathic remedy.

Scrofula  tuberculosis of the lymph
glands.

Secondary Effects  Our vital force strives
to oppose its energy to this influence. This, its life-preserving
reaction, is an automatic activity called secondary
effects.

Sensation  the experience of a
symptom, what it feels like. One of the parts of a complete
symptom.

Similia Similibus Currentur  "Likes
are Cured by Likes". The homeopathic doctrine stating
that any substance which is capable of producing morbid
symptoms in the healthy will remove similar symptoms
occurring as an expression of disease.

Simillimum  the most similar remedy
corresponding to a case. As such, the remedy most likely
to cure.

Simple Substance  the basic material
from whence all force and forms in the universe have
their origin.